Railway-switch



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. R. MATTER. RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 535,992. Patented Mar. 19, 1 895.

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J. R. MATTER. RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 535,992. Patentd Mar. 19, 1895.

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w Q j amen/[1oz qwit'vwoo'w UNITED STATES PATENT 7 OFFICE.

JONATHAN R. MATTER, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAI LWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,992, dated March 19, 1895.

A Application filed December 17, 1 894. Serial No. 532,046. (No model.)

To wZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JONATHAN R. MATTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of railway switches which are operated by the weight of the motor or car while the wheels are passing over certain lever=connected projections rising above the surface of the rail.

The object of my invention is the throwing of the switch by separate cars or successive trains avoiding the necessity of employing a switch-tender or compelling some one to descend from the car at each junction. The combination of mechanical elements used to attain this end consists of a prong -ended hooking rod, delivering motion to a vibrative compound track-plate, switch-rod and tongue, the whole set in motion, held inoperative during a certain period governed by the speed of a passing train, and reset for a following train, by a system of lever connected knobs projecting above the surface of the rail as more particularly described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings like numerals and letters indicate the same parts in the several figures.

Figure 1, shows a general plan view of the parts and connections. Fig. 2, shows the straight spring-piece beneath and operating the prongsrod. Fig. 3, shows the tongue of the switch with the flat spring attached to its under surface. Fig. 4, shows the track-knob near the switch with its attached lever and the latching stop upon the prong-rod; Fig. 5, the guard knob remote from the switch with the lever attached. Fig. 6, shows the trackknob and the pivoted block remote from the switch. Fig. 7, shows the bar and brace serving motion to the prong-rod, and the spiral spring and accessories used to return the prong-rod to its first position, and Fig. 8, shows the single knob for throwing the switch when operated by a depression wheel borne by the car, as specified.-

. to the bed plate.

The tongue of the switch, pivoted to the rails at their meeting point upon one side of the track in the usual Way, is numbered, 1. A flat spring, 2, is fastened by one of its ends toward the point of the said tongue, the other end of this spring being attached,at the point numbered 3, to the outer end of the switchrod, 4. The inner end of the switch-rod is pivotally joined to a plate, 5, possessing angular notches in its boundary at opposite points near the top and bolted to or cast integral with a second and somewhat larger plate, 6, beneath it. The said lower plate, 6, is-of the same general outline as plate, 5, the entering angles of the former being nearer together and advantageously more obtuse than those of the latter plate. The smaller plate is fixed upon the larger so that the distance between theiredges is approximately the same throughout and both vibrate together about a pivot through their common center. The said pivot may project directly from one of the cross-ties,but the preferred construction makes use of a bed-plate, 7, bolted to the ties and upon which the movable plates rest as shown in Fig. 1. The entering angles at opposite points in the edge of the plate, 6, are occupied alternately by a corresponding bend in a flat spring, 8, which serves the purpose of preventing the movement of the plates unless acted upon by a sufficient force to throw the switch. This spring is fast at its outer end From the lower edge of plate, 6, the straight side as shown in the drawings, there projects a round tooth or pin, 9, perpendicular to the said plate. This upright pin engages a semicircular indentation in one end of a spring-piece, 10, a considerable portion of which toward the end provided with the said indentation is formed wide and fiat and rests broadside upon and is pivoted ICO outer end extends through the web of the rail joining pivotally an upright piece outside the rail. The said piece passing upward through the tread of the rail is capped by a rounded end or knob, 15, which, in its normal position, rests above the wheel-bearing surface of the rail. The said knob and its attachments as well as the lug upon the prongrod are located near the switch.

A joint, 16, and a sleeve-block, 17, bolted to the track, permit the prong-rod to adapt itself to ordinary curvature.

Bolted to the ties at the lower end of the prong-rod is the casting, 18, so constructed as to aiford a suitable support for the sliding end of the rod, and a fixed base for one end of a spiral spring, 19, the opposite end of said spring touching the end of the prong-rod. A modification of the said casting, 18, affords, in addition to the features named and directly above the end of the rod, side bearings for the trunnions of an oscillating piece of the form set out below and shown in Fig. 8.

A straight bar, 20, is fast at one extremity to the end of the prong-rod, 12, at approximately a right angle and parallel with the plane of the track. The brace, 21, unites prong-rod and bar to strengthen the connection between them. Immediately before its passage through the rail as shown in Fig. 7, the bar, 20, is supported upon and near the end of a lever, 22, with fulcrum upon the rail at the point, 23; the other arm of the said lever being attached, pivotally, to an upright piece passing through and ending, somewhat above the groove of the rail, in the guard-knob, 24:, similar in shape to the knob mentioned previously. Passing through a suitable aperture the bar, 20, ends near and slightlybelow one corner of a triangular block, 26, the said block being pivoted near a second corner to the outside surface of the web of the rail and over-balanced by a weighted projection, 27. The third cornerof the said block is extended upward through the over-hanging part of the rail and ends in a knob, 28, similar to the others. The weight of bar, 20, upon lever, 22, maintains knob, 24, at a suitable distance above the level of the wheel-bearing surface of the rail, and the weighted projection, 27, exerts the same influence upon knob, 28. The guard-knob, 24, and knob, 28, are not situated exactly beside each other directly across the rail, but, knob, 28, leads the otherashort distance toward the switch. Omitting these track-knobs and their lever connections, one form of my invention requires for its operation a block, 29, best shown in Fig. 8, resting in the side bearings raisedfrom the casting, 18; the lower end of this block being pivotally yoked to the end of the prong-rod. This pattern of my switch is thrown by the contact of a wheel or shoe borne by the car and adapted to be depressed by a person upon the car;

the operating wheel being returned to its first position by a spring as shown in Fig. 8.

The operation of my device may be explained by first taking notice of cars approaching from the point, X, in Fig. 1, above the switch. The wheels of cars from that direction do not throw the switch. Whatever may be the position of the tongue, 1, it is simply pressed to one side by the passing wheel and immediately returned to its place by the spring attached beneath it, as shown in Fig. 3. The knob, 15, is depressed during the passage of the wheel and raised immediately thereafter by the weight of the inner arm of lever 14. The next knob struck is, 28, and the block is merely tilted regaining its place by the fall of the weight at 27. While knob, 28, is down the guard-knob, 24, is reached and by its connected levers raises bar, 20. Under these conditions the block, 26, has been so turned that the elevated extremity of bar, 20, passes behind the said block and all the parts involved are reset upon the departure of the wheel as the explanation of their structure indicates.

Let the car approach from the point, Y, below the switch. The tongue of the switch occupies one of two positions, owing to the nature of my invention, directing the cars upon the branch track or allowing them to pass straight onward as shown in Fig. 1. The salient angle of plate, 6, attords no stable resting place for the latching angle of the spring, 8. Looking toward X it will be seen that the hook upon the right arm of the prong engages the notch on that side of plate, 5. A wheel from Y, would, therefore, produce a series of mechanical movements beginning with the depression of the guard-knob, 24, Fig. 5, thereby raising the end of bar, 20, Fig. 7, into a position from which it may be pushed directly backward in the direction of Y by the lowest corner of the block, 26, Fig. 6, set in motion as the wheel reaches the knob, 28. It will be seen that both the guard-knob and that upon the block must be acted upon in the manner described in order to throw the switch. A carriage or wagon driven across the track would do no harm, one knob only being likely to be alfected. The rearward journey of the bar, 20, bears with it the prongrod, 12, and compresses the spring, 19, shown in Fig. 7. At the limit of the backward travel of the prong-rod, the lug, 13, Fig. 4:, no longer supports the end of the lever, 14, which drops in front of the said lug and prevents the reaction of the rod. The engaged hook upon the end of the right arm of the prong has drawn plates, 5 and 6, far enough to carry the angle of the spring, 8, over the apex of the salient angle of plate, 6, and the tongue of the switch is drawn toward the main track. The pressure of the spring, 8, upon the slanting edge of the said plate aids the complete movement of the switch. The first wheel that reaches and depresses tho track-knob, 15, Fig. 4, near the switch liberates the prong-rod which moves forward without altering the position of the switch. At

the same time the spring-piece, 10, Fig. 2, moves the prong laterally bringing the left ICC hand hook into the adjacent angle of plate, 5. The switchwill now direct the passing train upon the siding or branch track and is not 'again disturbed until the guard and trackknobs are further operated upon, when the switch will be returned to the situation in Fig. 1. It will be seen that the distance from the knob, 15, to the knob, 28, must be more than sufficient to contain the passing train, otherwise 'the switch would be oppositely thrown with resulting confusion. Joints, 16, in the prong-rod permit it to yield readily to theinfiuence of the said spring-piece as above described and to follow a curving track.

Having thus described my invention in detail, what I claim, and desire to protect by Let-. ters Patent, is-

1. In a railway switch operated by passing car wheels, the combination of the switchtonguehaving the fiat'spring attached beneath it toward the point, the said spring extending backward and connecting with the switch-rod, the two joined plates having a common pivotand motion and each possessing an edge indented at two points separated by a projecting area, the indentations of the lower and larger plate adapted to be alternately occupied by a corresponding bend in a flat spring which'is fixed by its outer extremity to the ties or bed-plate, the indentations of the smaller and upper plate adapted to be occupied alternately by inwardly proj ecting hooks terminating the arms of a prong at one end of the rod, the said lower plate and the said prong-rod being, respectively, in pivotal and sliding contact with'a pivoted springpiece, the said upper plate being pivotally attached to the said switch-rod, the raised portion or lug upon the rod near the prong, the lever possessing a suitable fulcrum and having one end resting upon the said lug and its other end connected to the upright piece which projects slightly above the wheel-bearing surface of the rail, the said prong-rod being upheld at intervals by grooved or bored supports upon or within which it may slide and suitably jointed to follow a curving track, and mechanism by which the said prong-rod may be drawn in one direction when cars approach the switch and subsequently returned to its forward position in the manner substantially as shown and described for the purpose specified.

2. In a railway switch operated by passing car wheels, the prong-ended rod provided with inwardly projecting hooks terminating the arms of the prong, the said rod having, upon its upper surface near the prong, a raised portion or ing, in combination with a lever normally resting upon the said lug and ex? tending at right angles with the said prongrod, the said lever having a fulcrum at a suitable point and pivotally joined at its outer end toan upright piece which passes through the wheel-bearing surface of the rail and ends in a knob raised somewhat above the said surface, the whole so constructed and arranged that the said lever may drop before the said lug, when the said prong-rod is drawn backward, and be raised from that position by the depression of the said knob, and mechanism for operating the said prong-rod substantially as shown and described for the purpose set forth.

3. In a railway switch operated by passing car wheels, the prong-ended rod provided with inwardly projecting hooks terminating the arms of the prong, in combination with the bar rigidly attached to the straightendof the said prong-rod and perpendicular thereto in the plane of the track, the said bar supported inside the rail by and near one end of a lever which is provided with a suitable fulcrum and pivotally joined at its farther extremity to an upright piece, the said upright piece passing through the wheel-bearing surface of the rail and ending in a knob at rest somewhat above the said surface, the said bar passing through the rail and ending near the lower corner of a pivoted block, the'said block, overbalanced by a weighted projection, and having one part extending upward and adapted to pass through the over-hanging portion of the rail and ending in a knob normally raised somewhat above the said surface of the rail and slightly in advance of the first knob along the rail, the whole so constructed and arranged that the switch can only be thrown by the depression of both knobs substantially in the manner shown and described.

4. In a switch operated by passing car wheels, a spring-piece having one portion broad, flat and comparatively rigid, the said rigid portion provided at the end with a semicircular indentation and having a pivot hole, the remainder of the said spring-piece being intentionally flexible and terminating in a grooved or bored block substantially as shown and described for the purpose set forth.

5. In a railway switch operated by passing car wheels, the combination of a switch tongue and rod with the two joined plates having a common pivot and motion, each of the said plates possessing an edge indented at two points separated by a projecting area, the indentations of the lower and larger plate being alternately occupied by a corresponding bend in a Hat spring which is fixed by its outer extremity to the track or bed-plate, the indentations of the upper and smaller plate adapted to be alternately occupied by inwardly pro- 3' ectin g hooks terminating the arms of a prong at one end of a rod, the said lower plate and the said prong-rod being, respectively, in pivotal and sliding contact with a pivoted springpiece, the raised portion or lug upon the upper surface of the said rod near the prong, the lever having its inner end resting upon the said lug and its outer end connected to the upright piece ending in the knob, the spiral spring so placed as to return the prong-rod forward, the bar attached rigidly to thesaid rod perpendicular thereto in the plane of the track, the lever supporting the said bar inside the track and having its farther endjoined to an upright piece extending through the wheelbearing surface of the rail and ending in the knob raised above the said surface, the pivoted and over-balanced block having the knob normally raised above the said surface and slightly in advance of the first knob along the rail, the lower corner of the said block being so situated as to strike the said bar passing through the rail and to move the same when the said track-knobs are depressed in the manner shown and described for the purpose set forth.

6. In a railway switch operated by passing car wheels, the combination of the tongue l1aving the spring attached beneath it toward the point, the said spring extending backward and connecting with the switch-rod, the two joined plates having a common pivot and motion and each possessing an edge indented at two points separated by a projecting area, the indentations of the lower and larger plate adapted to be alternately occupied by a corresponding bend in the flat spring which is fixed by its outer extremity to the track or bed-plate, the indentations of the upper and smaller plate adapted to be alternately occupied by inwardly projecting hooks terminating the arms of the prong at one end of the rod, the said lower plate and the said prongrod being, respectively, in pivotal and sliding contact with a pivoted spring-piece, the raised portion or lug upon the upper surface of the said rod near the prong, the lever having itsinner end resting upon the said lug and its outer end connected to the upright piece ending in the knob, the spiral spring so placed as to return the prong-rod forward, the bar attached rigidly to the said rod perpendicular thereto in the plane of the track, the lever supporting the said bar inside the rail and having its farther end joined to an upright piece extending through the wheel-bearing surface of the rail and ending in the knob raised above the said surface, the pivoted and over-balanced block having the knob normally raised above the said surface and slightly in advance of the first knob along the rail, the lower corner of the said block being so situated as to strike the said bar passing through the rail and to move the same when the said trackknobs are depressed in the manner shown and described.

' In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JONATHAN R. MATTER.

Witnesses:

J OHN M. LEONARD, G. W. CHARTERS. 

